During the month of Iyar we perform most of the commandment of counting the omer. This article explores three levels of light that are brought down by the act of counting the omer and the effect that each has in refining our character.

It is related in the Prophets (Kings I, 6:1) that King Solomon began the building of the First Temple “in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the House of G-d.” The Radak explains: “The month Ziv is the month of Iyar… and it is called Ziv, as our sages explain, because of the splendor of the trees, namely the brilliance of the flowers and buds.” Ziv means “splendor” or “brilliance.” In this month of “brilliance” King Solomon “began to build the House of G-d.”

Joining together all three types of teshuvah: return to God, return to the Torah, and return to the Jewish People as a whole, will result in one great teshuvah that will bring with it the ultimate redemption, once and for all.

The phrase, “A Jewish state in the Land of Israel” plucks at the deepest heartstrings of every yearning Jew. Yet, it is clear that the state that was established on 5th Iyar 5708 (1948), as it stands today, is still a far cry from that dreamlike vision that has warmed our hearts for almost two thousand years.

The Second Passover

The most important events in the short history of the State of Israel all occurred in the month of Iyar. From the only holiday in Iyar, the second Passover, we learn that there is always a second chance and it is still possible to rectify our communal future in the Land of Israel.